The Portland daily press., 1887-02-12
THE WHITE RIVER DISASTER.
Continuation Of the Examination be-
fore the commIssIoners-LIst
OF the Killed.

WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, Feb 11.-Mulli-
gan's evidence before the commissioners
showed that the truck or some portion Of 1t
was off the track some distance back from
the first broken rail, and an irregular line of
marks on the ties before the rail was reached
were shown to be marks OF wheels, similar
to what would be made If an axle was
broken before the rail was reached. When
the commissioners examined the road bed
leading to the bridge it was found that the
tracks of the fianges upon the ties showed
that from the first place where the ties bore
marks of wheels clear to the bridge the
trucks kept going farther to the right, so
that when the bridge was reached the right
hand wheels must have struck the off side of
the bridge directly from the abutment. Thus
the eight inch guard timbers, which were
shown to be on all the bridges of the Central
Vermont, could have been no protection. or
even any kind Of similar device. No identi-
ficatiOn of the bodies has been made today
and none of the injured have died since Sun
day. The total number Of identifcatlons
has been up to the present time 10. The fol-
lowing list is complete and corrected from
the undertaker's book:
Conductor s. G. Sturtevant
Brakeman Braeklebanks.
Conductor Burgess, of the Pullman palace car.
Jack Hammer, porter.
j. II. Jones, porter.
Edw. f. Dillon, SpringheldAVt.
G. Mills, Iroquos, Canada.
Nancy Dunbar, Som rville, Mass.
ID. d. Woodward, Waterbury, VT.
Samuel Westcott, Burlington. VT
In order to obtain the most accurate esti-
mate Of the number killed or fatally injured
in the disaster, the Associated Press corre-
spondent today interviewed Alfred L. Wat
son, clerk Of the board Of railroad commits
sioners, who in company with Ex-Governor
Pingree, chairman of the board, visited the
scene Of the wreck as early as z o'clock and
before hand had been lifted toward remov-
ing the dead. Watson says that both Mr..
Pingree and himself discovered lying upon
the ice "a distinct human forms in charred
condition, and two resemblanceS to bodies,
which they were doubtful about.
Subsequently on the same day six other
bodies were removed from the water and
ruins, and on the following day five addi-
total Of 30 passengers known to have been
killed. Add to this number Conductor
Sturtevant and BrOcklebanks, the brakeman,
who soon after died, and the grand total is
81. Mr.. Watson thinks the circumstances
favor the theory that some bodies were Gre
mated under the burning timbers of the
bridge.
The theory that the accident was caused
by broken rail is gaining ground in this
vicinity, but an eminent civil engineer Of
Philadelphia suggests that the accident may
have resulted from defective rail joints or
splice plates.
A. G. Thayer Of Chateaugay, N. Y, is at
Hartford today in search of the remains Of
his son, Herbert Thayer, who was on the
wrecked tram, but was unable to identify
his sons remains.
A warm rain storm has prevailed all day,
and should it continue for "a hours longer.it
Is feared the new trestle work now being
built replace the burned bridge will be
swept away.
Late tonight the body Of Herbert A.
Thayer, Of Chateauguay, n. Y, was fully
identified by his father and mother, and the
body will go to that place tomorrow morning
with them. Two more of the 81 ON the train
have been accounted for this afternoon. Mr..
Veazey who escaped from tie wreck and was
driven to Hanover, taking the train from
there home, and Mr.. Wesson, of Springfield,
whose body was first identified and was re-
moved from the morgue Saturday, and there
fore not included In the surgeons estimate
of Sunday This leaves but two missing
Nothing has been learned as yet of Edgar
Wilder, of St. Albans.
James Kiley and Polly Arel have i'm
proved so much as to be able to be taken to
their homes tomorrow. The weather late to-
night is colder.